Astronomers in London looking for Christmas star

Have you ever wondered about the real origin of the star that shines atop many a Christmas tree? The story of Jesus' birth in the Bible talks about a star guiding the "Three Wise Men" to the manger, the star heralding the birth of a king. But did that star actually exist? Astronomers in London have been trying to find out.

Looking out across snow-covered London is the Greenwich Royal Observatory.

At the Astronomy Centre, public astronomer Marek Kukula explains that despite the precise records of star movements kept by the Chinese at the time, there is no precise date for when the Wise Men tracked the "star", so it is difficult to know precisely what they witnessed.

One theory is that it was a conjunction of planets, where two or more planets seem to pass close together.

Have you ever wondered about the real origin of the star that shines atop many a Christmas tree?

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